


late night

by BeStillMySlashyHeart



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Developing Relationship, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21601948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/pseuds/BeStillMySlashyHeart
Summary: Maria decides they've waited long enough. One night she puts on her best dress and goes to see Michael, ready to start something new between them. But someone else got there first.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 13
Kudos: 227





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fair Enough](https://archiveofourown.org/works/282606) by [Closer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Closer/pseuds/Closer). 



Maria paused outside the door and fixed her dress. The heels were a bit higher than she normally would’ve worn, the dress a bit tighter, her hair and makeup a bit more done. Normally, she wouldn’t have put in the extra effort for what someone who’d seen her at her worst but she felt like he, like  _ they _ deserved it. They deserved to start this thing off right with the utmost effort. 

She double checked that there were no other cars around and knocked firmly on the battered metal door. It echoed loudly in the silent scrapyard. There was no response and Maria glanced over her shoulder at Michael’s truck before knocking again. He was home and, for once, alone. It was the perfect opportunity.

Maria and Michael and Alex had been in a strange holding pattern for over a month now, Michael floundering in the sudden disappearance of his brother and burying himself in alcohol and anonymous sex while Maria and Alex danced around the subject, and the man in question, whenever the issue looked like it might arise. But Max was back from his mysterious sojourn and Michael was getting his feet back under him again and Alex had been drifting further and further away from everyone and Maria knew this was her chance. She and Michael could finally move forward and try to make something real out of their feelings for each other. 

She raised her hand to knock a third time just as the door opened. Normally, Michael swung the door wide without a care for the state of it or the side of the trailer but tonight he eased it open gently, as if trying to be quiet.

He was shirtless and, Maria glanced down quickly, pantless as well. Only a thin sheet, the top sheet of his bunk, was wrapped around his waist. 

“Maria,” he blinked at her.

“Hey,” she greeted softly. “I know it’s late and I’m sorry for waking you up. I just couldn’t wait any longer. I’ve been thinking about us lately and everything that’s been going on and I think it’s time we-” she slowed to a stop as she finally glanced behind him and saw the scattered clothes littering the ground. His hat, usually treated with the utmost care, was tossed haphazardly over the corner of a cabinet. She turned slightly to check the lot again but there were still no cars other than hers and Michael’s. “Sorry, am I interrupting?” She shook her head and shifted her feet. She’d been prepared to put herself out there tonight, she hadn’t been prepared to humiliate herself in front of his latest one night stand. Michael usually picked up his company for the night at the Wild Pony but he hadn’t been in so she’d assumed it was safe to come over. Evidently she was wrong.

Michael glanced over his shoulder and towards the bunk, a soft expression on his face that she didn’t recognize. “Maria…” he started.

She waved him off. “I should have called, I guess. I can go and we can talk about this tomorrow?” He glanced away and so did she. Her gaze settled on the clothes behind him, unwilling to meet his eyes as he prepared to let her down easy. She knew the signs and she knew this conversation wasn’t going to end like she’d hoped.

He said her name again but she didn’t hear him.

On the ground behind him was a leather jacket. A very familiar leather jacket. 

Maria stepped to the side and craned her neck to see further into the trailer and froze at the sight of the prosthetic leg leaning carefully against the cabinet. 

She took a step back. “How long?”

Michael sighed. “About three hours?” He twisted his wrist to check his nonexistent watch.

“I was too late.”

“Yes and no,” Michael told her. “If you’d come over last night, I’m not sure what would have happened, if I’m honest. I care about you Maria, I do.”

“But not like you care about Alex,” she finished for him. She took another step back.

“I love him.”

“So if I was here last night…”

“I might have thought we could give it a try,” Michael told her honestly. “And I don’t think it would’ve worked out and I think everyone would’ve just gotten hurt.” As opposed to just her, he didn’t say.

“Right,” she nodded sharply. “Well. I should go. Let’s uh, let’s forget this happened, yeah?” She turned away. Two steps later she turned back. “Can you, uh, not tell Alex I was here? He won. There’s no point telling him I showed up at your doorstep like this.”

Michael looked over his shoulder briefly. “Okay,” he agreed softly, his voice carrying easily across the empty space between them.

“Thank you,” she nodded again. “Good night, Michael.” It felt like goodbye.

“Good night, Maria.” His voice was kind but it was most definitely a goodbye. 

\-----

Michael watched Maria get in her truck and drive away before easing the door closed as softly as he could.

“Do you realize this trailer is smaller than my bedroom?” Michael winced and turned to face the bed. Alex hadn’t moved from where he’d left him except to turn his head. He hadn’t even opened his eyes.

“Maybe don’t mention that to Maria?” He dropped the sheet along the end of the bed as he slid back in next to Alex. 

Alex hummed and shifted to let him get comfortable. “Would you have started something with her if she was here yesterday? Does one day really make that much of a difference?”

“Well, yesterday I hadn’t quite gotten it through my head that you and I could have something. I don’t know what I would have done if she’d shown up but I don’t think I would have turned her away immediately,” Michael answered honestly. “There probably would’ve been a long conversation, at the very least.”

“Your favorite,” Alex teased lightly. 

Michael pressed a kiss to Alex’s shoulder. “I’m better at it than you.”

“You are,” Alex opened his eyes and looked at him. “I’m trying to do better but you are probably always going to be better talking about things than I am.”

“That’s okay,” Michael kissed his collarbone this time. “Just try. That’s all I need. Don’t bottle things up and don’t assume I can read your mind because I can’t. Not even if I tap into those powers.”

“I promise,” Alex put a finger under Michael’s chin to tilt his head up enough for him to kiss him.

“I love you,” Michael whispered between their lips.

Alex beamed. “Love you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ The Night Before _

Alex tossed back the shot and looked around the bar. There were slim pickings in Roswell if he wanted to meet someone new and the Saturn’s Rings was regretfully his best chance of finding someone who might be interested. Part of it was that tourists frequently had fewer hang ups and lower morals when they were away from home but mostly it was that Alex was part of a very tiny LGBT population in Roswell and there was no one at the Wild Pony who he had a chance with. Well, almost no one. 

A tall guy with dark curly hair winked at him from across the bar and Alex looked away. He couldn’t take the curls. Not anymore. No matter how hot the guy was.

A woman tried to catch his eye but he shook his head slightly and grabbed the beer the bartender dropped off for him.

Two more men tried to get his attention, one guy even coming up and talking to him under the pretense of ordering a drink but Alex couldn’t bring himself to respond to any of them. He’d been coming here the last week or two, hoping to get laid but he could never quite talk himself into actually leaving with anybody. There had been flirting, harmless and heavy, but nothing more. 

The man who’d come up before came up again, this time squeezing in close to Alex as he leaned across the bar to get the bartender’s attention. Alex had to marvel at the man’s audacity; only about half the stools at the bar were occupied and there was no mistaking his intent as he brushed against Alex. They talked for a little while, the man’s drink arriving and drained as they spoke, the empty glass disappearing with Alex’s empty bottle.

Someone slid into the stool on the other side of Alex and he closed his eyes at the warmth radiating from the other man. He’d felt something a few minutes ago when Michael walked in but he’d convinced himself it was all in his imagination.

There was no imagining the heat behind him or the possessive hand on the back of Alex’s stool.

The man he was talking with, Connor, he thought, looked at Michael, looked at his hand placement, and made his exit without any fanfare.

“Can I help you?” Alex didn’t look at Michael as he waved down the bartender and asked for two more beers.

“I was in the neighborhood.”

“Aren’t you banned from here?” Alex mused as he slowly turned to face him. His hair looked great today, it was really unfair. “Like you are from every bar that’s not Maria’s?”

Michael shrugged. “Guess I won’t be able to buy my own drinks then.” Their beers arrived and he raised an eyebrow. “Good thing I’ve got you, huh?”

Something tightened in Alex’s gut and he turned away. 

“I saw your car in the parking lot,” Michael suddenly said all in a rush. Alex paused with the bottle halfway to his lips.

“What?”

“I was heading home from Isobel’s and I saw your car in the lot.” Michael fiddled with the paper label. “You only come here when you’re looking for new blood.”

Alex dropped his bottle with a thud and stared at Michael. “So? What do you care if I hook up with someone?”

“Don’t,” Michael whispered. 

“Guerin-”

“I don’t have any right to say that or ask that of you, I know. I get it. But- but I can’t stand the thought of you with someone else.”

Alex scoffed and shook his head. “Fuck you.”

“That’s fair,” Michael drummed his fingers on the bartop. “Don’t go home with any of the guys here.”

“That’s really none of your business,” Alex told him. “You don’t get a say in who-”

“Come home with me.”

Alex stared at him. “What?”

“Come home with me,” Michael repeated, his nerves obvious in his voice.

“ _ What _ ?” 

“...which part of that was confusing?”

“You- you can’t just- what the hell is wrong with you?” Several people nearby turned to stare at them and Alex ducked his head as he realized how loudly he’d yelled that last bit.

“Hey,” the bartender came up to them. “If there’s gonna be a problem, take it outside. Or I can call the Sheriff.” He looked Michael up and down with a scoff. Alex shook his head and dropped a few bills on the bar before getting up and leaving. He didn’t look back at Michael. 

“Alex,” Michael called as they entered the parking lot. He was only a step or two behind him.

“You do not get to just show up like this after  _ weeks _ of ignoring me, of flirting with Maria in front of me, of screwing half the damn town!” Alex turned and stalked towards his car.

“I know,” Michael told him when Alex slowed and fished out his keys. “I’m sorry.”

Alex dropped his head. “For what?”

“For hurting you. It was never my intention. I was just- too wrapped up in my own bullshit, my own issues, to really be able to look around and see how I was hurting people. But I see it now and I’m sorry, Alex. I was selfish and I hurt you and I regret that.”

“Thank you,” Alex told him. “I understand. I do. But that doesn’t mean you get to pull this crap.”

Michael opened his mouth and then promptly shut it. “I love you. And I don’t look away and I don’t  _ want _ to, Alex. I want you. That’s all I want. That’s all I need.”

Alex’s breath caught in his throat. “What about Maria?”

“I care about her. She’s my friend and I think maybe we could be more than that, if we tried. But it’s not the same. I don’t love her.” Alex didn’t say anything and Michael closed the gap between them. “I’m trying to say what I mean because, historically speaking, we suck at it, so I need you to listen to me. I love you. I want to be with you. It won’t be easy but it will absolutely be worth it so long as you’re with me.” He paused. “What do you want?”

“I want you.” Alex almost gasped with how easy that was to say. “I just want you.”

“You have me,” Michael whispered. “Always.”

Alex leaned into Michael’s arms as Michael looped his fingers through Alex’s belt loops. “You can’t say things like that.”

“Yes I can,” he heard the smile in Michael’s voice even as his eyes slipped closed. “Come home with me, Alex.”

“For how long?” Alex asked. “For the night? We can’t just have sex, Michael. That doesn’t solve our issues.”

“How long? Forever sounds nice but I suppose we can start with one night. I’m not expecting sex to magically solve our issues but you can’t deny that we’re much better at communicating that way. We suck at talking.”

“We’re doing better,” Alex countered. Michael arched an eyebrow and Alex folded. “Okay yeah, fine, you might have a point.”

“Come home with me,” Michael asked one more time.

“Okay.”


End file.
